Switchboard for telephoning purposes



(No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Sheet'l.

l U. H.' BALSLEY. SWITGHBUARD PoR TBLEPHONING PURPOSES. No. 504,464.-PatentedvSept 5,1893.

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U. H. BALSLEY. l SWITGHBOARD POR TELBPHONING PURPOSES.`

' No; 504,464. f VPatented Sept..5, 41893.

.wlT'NSey I l. Y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

UPTON H. BALSLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCHBOARD FOR TELEPHONING PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,464, datedSeptember 5, 1893.

Application filed Tune 8, 1889. Serial No. 313,578. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, UPTON H. BALsLEY, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement inSwitchboards for Telephoning Purposes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has reference to switch boards for telephonie purposes, andconsists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in thefollowing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings whichform a part thereof.

Heretofore great difficulty has been experienced in the electricalconnection of various sections of the dierent switch boards of a centralstation, the difficulty arising out of the fact that the said electricalconnections between the various contacts of corresponding sections ondierent boards have been made in the form of separate wires, and sohuddled together that it was absolutely impossible to trace a wire ormake a new connection, or repair a broken circuit without the utmostdiiiiculty, loss of time, and the interruption of the service. Theconnecting wires were greatly intermingled and tangled; and in switchboards where several thousand subscribers are in circuit, the mass ofcables so formed in the compartment immediately beneath the sections wasof such a nature that when it was necessary to make repairs on anysection the entire mass of cables had to be raised to permit the switchsection being lifted sufficiently to expose the terminals of theswitches. New wires in repairing would have to be pulled through themass of cables byV means of a long metallic hook, with the disadvantagethat every repair vof the switch board as an entirety still furthercomplicated the mass of wires forming the electrical connections betweenthe various switches.

In carrying out my invention I dispense entirely with the loose cablesor connecting wires, and provide in lieu thereof, a conductor band,fabric web, or ribbon in which a series of electrical conductors formedof insulated wires are tied or woven into a iiat web or ribbon whichcontains in its vertical direction as many wires as there are contactsin any one of the switch sections. It will thus be seen that if thereare twenty socket pieces and twenty spring contacts there will berequired forty insulated wires in the vertical width or depth of the weblor ribbon. It is, however, apparent that this number is not essentialas the socket contacts may have a different web or ribbon from thatemployed for the spring contacts. By this construction, the conductorswhich connect a series of sockets in a row are united into a band, web,ribbon or fabric which is composed of the wires which connect a seriesof sockets in a row of one section of the switch board with the row ofcorresponding sockets in the next section of the switch board, and whenit is desired to make any repairs, the section in trouble may be liftedup bodily and draw with it the vertical ribbon or web which containsevery wire leading to that section;- and this elevation of the wires andsections can take place without in the least disturbing the repose ofthe remaining wires of the switch board. The advantage of thisconstruction is self apparent, and on large switch boards containing asmany as ten thousand subscribers its advantage is inestimable,particularly as in telephonic operations the subscribers must not bekept from the use of their lines for more than an extremely short periodat best.

I do not confine myself to any particular form of web or fabric thoughlprefer to make it as illustrated, that is to say, in which wires arearranged in the same, or substantially the same plane preferably inpairs the wires of which are twisted together, and tied together by aweft cord or other preferably iexible material. A desirable constructionof conductor fabric for ,this purpose is clearly set out in my LettersPatent No. 417,402, dated December 17, 1889.

Referring to the drawingsz-Figure l is .a sectional elevation of aswitch board embodying my invention taken on line a: of Fig. 2. Fig. 2is a cross section of a switch board embodying my invention taken online y y of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the method ofconnection between the web or ribbon conductors, and the correspondingswitch connections of separate boards. Fig. 4 is atransverse sectionacross a portion of the conductor fabric. Fig. 5 is an elevationillustrating the construction of the conductor fabric. Fig. 6 is adiagram illus- IOC trating the connection of the conductors of the webor ribbon with the terminals of the switches. Fig. 7 is a cross sectionillustrating one form of switch such for instance as is set out in myPatent No. 417,402, dated December 17, 1889, and Fig. 8 is a perspectiveview similar to Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale showing the successivesections or portions of the web between successive sections of boardseparate from one another.

A is the frame work of the switch board. B B are the switch sections andconsist ot' insulated series of contacts of suitable construction whichare removably placed in position side by side and end to end asillustrated. A

`InFig. l the sections marked l correspond to one series of subscribersand are connected -as indicated in Figs. 3 and '6. Likewise sectionsmarked 2 belong toanother series of subscribers, and are connected inthe same manner, and so on withthe remaining sections. Itwill be seenthatawire entering the switch board and being connected with the firstcontact of section l, will through 'the webor ribbon E of insulatedconductors be connected-with the first contact of each of the successivecorresponding sections l throng-hout the entire switch board,so thatanyoperator `who `has control of a given number of sections (includingall of the subscribers) may couple the plugs corresponding to hersubscribers with any one of the total number ofsubscribers of the entirecentral station.

G represents the wire-making up the web or ribbon, and these are tiedtogether inthe form of a web or ribbon by the wefts g, which arepreferably of cord or other `flexible material. :It is evident that inplace of cord wire might be used, and in fact the exibility might bedispensed with when considering my invention broadly. Wires G are bentup in succession .to couple with the terminals on the switch sections,forming the `vertical parts Fwhich connect directly with the terminalsbland b of the said switch sections B. This upwardly bending ofthe endsof the ribbon in the manner described forms oblique ends `which areindicated at e in Figs. l` and 3. It isa preferable construction, thoughnot essential to my invention when considered broadly. Thewebs `orribbons are arranged side by side in a vertical position within the boxI) extending longitudinally on the frame A and under the switch sectionsB. Theverticalparts or conductorsF between the ribbon and the Contactterminals are equal atleast -to the depth of the sectionsB, andpreferably `somewhat greater so that .as the section is Araised forexposing the terminals the upper edges `of the webs or ribbons E shalljust reach the supports C forA the switch sections `B. `Each of theconducting wires which com- .pose the web or ribbon is turned or bent up-from the web, preferably at a right .angle as stated, and this turnedor bent up portion F is connected with its appropriate terminal of aswitch section and then returns down again to the web and continues inthe web until it reaches a position adjacent to the next correspondingswitch section, when it is again bent or turned up and connected withthe corresponding terminal of that switch section and then returns againto the web and continues to the next switch section and soon, connectingcorresponding terminals of successive sec-4 tions of switch board.

In the construction shown in Fig. 8 the successive sections or portionsof the web between each two successive corresponding sections'of boardare shown separate, the portion of the web from the first section ofboard to the second being separate from the portion from thesecond'section of board to the third and so on,'the arrangement of thewires, however is the same as in the construction `shown in Figs."1, 3and 6, the dierence` being merely that the incoming portions F of thewires at any section are not bound together with the outgoing orreturning por `tions of theysame or corresponding wires. It

will be seen that in switch section B all of the connecting wires F maybe lifted upward in the switch board so as to expose all oftheconnections between the said conductors F and theswitch terminals B B',and thereby allow in the most ready manner repairs to be made in case ofaccident by the breakage of any connection. The fabric forming the webor ribbon `E may have the conductors G G thereof twisted `upon eachother in pairs, and such pairs of insulated conductors treated as asingle warp in .weaving the webor ribbon as shown in Fig. -5. The objectin twisting rthe wires in this manner is to overcome as far as possibleinduction. This twisting however is not essential in the carrying out iof my invention. Where the wires `F are `bent up vertically forming thecontinuation of the horizontal conductors G they are caused to lieagainst the face of the web or ribbon and are pref-` erably tied theretoalong the upper edge as at S Fig. 3.

It is immaterial to my invention what particular manner of holding thewarps in the form of a flat web or ribbon may be used as any simplemechanical expedient may be re sorted to, though I prefer to weave theribbon or web in a loom. The web or ribbonmight, it desired, consist ofthe wires arranged in the same plane and held in such relative positionin'any way. In fact the wires may be connected in any suitable manner solong as they are substantially in the same plane and form in eieot a datweb or ribbon; hence in using these terms I do not confine myself to theparticular construction shown.

Fig. 6 will givea clear illustration as to the method of connecting theconductors of the webA or ribbon E with the terminals of the switches,and showing how such web or ribbon is electrically connected throughoutthe entire switchboard so far as connecting similar switches ondifferent boards is concerned.

IOO

It will be apparent that while the preferable construction is one inwhich the webs of conductors hang vertically beyond the switch sections,they may be arranged horizontally if so desired, for instance, as wouldbe illustrated by turning Fig. 2 on one side so as to bring what wasbefore the surface of the table ot' the switch board, into a verticalposition.

In Fig. 2 the central port-ion of the switch board consists of series oftubes T, the function ot' which is to support the weights of the contactplugs used in the most popular switchboards, and which by suitablecircuits may be employed to couple one subscriber with another. Any wirein these webs or ribbons may be readily traced and defects can thus beeasily and quickly located. WVhile I prefcr the construction shown, I donot limit myself to the details thereof as the invention may be modifiedin various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention'.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a telephonic switch board, the combination of two or more switchesfor each of different operators, with two or more connecting wiresarranged between the terminals of said switches V.and connected betweenthe switches to form a fiat web or ribbon.

2. In a telephonic switch board, the combination of two or more seriesof switches for each of two or more operators, with connectingconductors between the corresponding terminals of corresponding seriesof switches of each operator and in which the conductors between twocorresponding series of switches are arranged in substantially the saineplane, and secured together so as to be movable as a unit and form aflat web.

3. In a telephonic switch board, the combination of two or more seriesof switches for each of two or more operators, with connectingconductors between the corresponding terminals of corresponding seriesof switches of each operator and in which the conductors between thecorresponding series of switches are arranged in substantially the sameplane and interwoven with a flexible weft thread.

4. In a telephonic switch board, the combination of two or more seriesot' switches for each of two or more operators, with connectingconductors between the corresponding terminals and in which theconductors between two corresponding series ot switches are arranged insubstantially the same plane, and secured together so as to be movableas a unit forming a at web and have their ends bent upward so as tosupport the horizontal portions of the conductors to the switches at ashort distance below the terminals thereof.

5. In a telephonic switch board, the combination of twoor more series ofswitches for each of two or more operators, with connecting conductorsbetween the corresponding terminals of corresponding series of switchesweb or ribbon and supported at v4a distance below the switches tothe-terminals ot'which they are connected equal to at least the depthvof the switches.

6. In a telephonic switch board, the combination of two or more seriesof switches for each of two or more operators, with connectingconductors between the corresponding terminals or corresponding seriesof switches of each operator and in which the conductors between thecorresponding series of switches are arranged in substantially the sameplane, and connected one to the other so as to form a compact web orribbon ot conductors-with their ends bent over the body of the web orribbon and extending toward the terminals of the switches.

7. In a telephonic switch board, a series of sections of board adaptedfor a series of operators, a corresponding series of removable switchsections for each section of board, a series of connecting conductorsfor connecting the corresponding switch sections of different sectionsof switch board and which conductors are arranged in the same orsubstantially the same plane, forming a flat web.

8. In a telephonic switch board, a series of sections of board adaptedfor a series of operators, a corresponding series of removable switchsections foreach section of board, a series of connecting conductors forconnecting the corresponding contacts of correspond ing switch sectionsof different sections of switch boards, which conductors are arranged inthe same or substantially the same plane and have their ends bent atsubstantially right angles and united to the switch terminals, and alsohaving their parts between the bent portions united or tied together toform a flat web or ribbon.

9. In a switch board for telephonic purposes thecombination of two ormore switch sections having connecting conductors of insulated wiressecured together into a iiat web or ribbon.

10. In a switch board for telephonic purposes the combination of two ormore removable switch sections having connecting conductors of insulatedwires secured together into a iiat web or ribbon equal in length tosubstantially the distance between the sections plus the length of asection, and mov- IOO IIO

12. The combination, with a multiple switch board, of the wires whichconnect n, series of sockets in any given row of the switch board unitedinto aJ web or band.

13. The combination, in a multiple switch board of a series of operatorssections each of which is formed of t plurality of rows of sockets orswitches, with Wires which connect the similar sockets o1- switohes ofthe same row of the several sections united into ai web 1o 0I' band.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

UPTON H. BALSLEY.

Witnesses:

R. HUNTER, ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER.

